Small research project for MA - am I on the right track???

[Numberfour]

I am doing a 5,000 word research project but I seem to be stuck on reading about how to do a research project at the moment! Seems I missed out a lot on the previous one I did (although I passed it).

My question is: am I on the right track so far by researching how to do my project rather than doing lit survey first? Is this the usual path to take when starting out with research projects? I feel a bit at sea at the moment.

I would love to hear from others who are in a similar situation. Thanks!

I think there are lots of ways to approach it and it might well depend on the subject.

Wouldn't you need to find a topic that's interesting to you and fits the bill (whatever the brief set by your tutor)? Then do the literature review? Come up with operational research questions... Method (deskbased or first hand data collection; interviews or surveys)... Etc. Why are you reading up about how to do your project???? Surely you need to submit this by sept? That leaves you with 8-10 weeks!

Thanks, everyone. It is a short 5,000 report on an aspect of early years education. It is not my main dissertation which I will be doing 2011 / 2012.

I think I am on the right track because the reading has helped me work out how to frame my questionnaires and my interview questions.

I do have the topic lined up and have set aside some literature for the review, which I think I will look at next.

Thanks for all the input!

Good luck, Numberfour.

Thanks, lionheart.